From remotest antiquity to the present, drugs have played a prominent role in the cultural, spiritual, and social development of civilizations. Antonio Escohotado notes that hemp has long been used in India to stimulate mental agility and sexual prowess, while the ancient Greeks made use of the hallucinogenic Datura flower. Tracing drug use among the Celts, the ancient Egyptians, and the Aztecs, Escohotado also looks at the present-day differences that exist between the more tolerant societies like Holland and Switzerland and countries advocating complete repression of these substances.